Have you ever tried to assemble IKEA furniture without the instruction manual?

Sure, maybe it seemed like it would be easy enough…until you found yourself surrounded by half-assembled pieces and no idea what you’re supposed to do with that extra bag of screws. Plus, now your partner is questioning your competency.

That’s why, before you embark on any project, it’s a good idea to start with a plan.

A project plan is an essential document for keeping a project on track. In your project plan, you identify the scope, goals, deliverables and deadlines of your project.

A project plan should answer these questions:

What is the purpose of this project (what problem is it going to solve)?

What are the main deliverables?

What will the timeline be, including deadlines?

Who will be on the team for this project and what role will they play?

What resources are required to complete this project?

The problem is, people are often eager to dive into working on a project without doing the required reading and preparation first. Your project plan needs to be organized, readable and engaging enough to hold the attention of your team.

Not sure where to start? This guide will offer you tips for designing an engaging project plan–along with a bunch of creative project plan templates that you can use.

1. Start with a flexible project plan template

Why not just make a roadmap in Excel or Word and call it a day? Well, you could, but the end result will be pretty lackluster.

Also, most project plans aren’t set in stone. They’re agile documents that will probably have to be adjusted along the way.

That’s why it’s best to use a more flexible project plan template. You’ll have an easier time editing it, and there will be more opportunity to give it an engaging design.

If you’re unsure of how to approach putting your plan together, a project plan template can be a big help. Using a template as a foundation will help you to organize your information and to present it in an engaging way.

2. Plot your project timeline visually

A clear timeline is the backbone of a solid project plan. Confusion related deadlines, and what is required for those deadlines, is a common problem many teams face while working on a project.

That’s why it’s important to break your projects down into smaller tasks with staggered deadlines. How you actually visualize your timeline will play a big role in how readable and straightforward your timeline infographic is.

Gantt chart templates

When you think of drawing out your project plan, a Gantt chart probably comes to mind. Gantt charts show tasks over a period of time.

This type of chart is handy because it allows you to show different timelines that run concurrently with each other, even if their start and ends dates are different.

For example, this Gantt chart template shows project that run over the course of two quarters:

Timeline templates

When you’re first outlining your project timeline, it can be pretty overwhelming. That’s where a visual can help people get a better sense of what needs to be done and by when.

A timeline is a versatile way to visualize milestones, processes, and goals. Because organizing the dates on your timeline can get a bit confusing, I recommend starting with a timeline template.

For example, you could use a timeline to provide an overview of the steps involved in your project:

A timeline is a good way to map out your high-level goals:

Mind map templates

There are a lot of moving pieces that contribute to the completion of a project. It can be easy to lose track of different tasks. A mind map shows relationships between pieces of a whole.

For example, you could use a mind map to break down the different components of your project strategy, like in this mind map template:

Or you could use a mind map to show the different parts of a process:

3. Use color to categorize tasks

Color selection plays an important role in your project plan design. Beyond making your project plan look nice, color can also help you organize and communicate information effectively.

When it comes to designing reports and charts, color is particularly effective for categorizing information. In a project plan, you can use color to categorize tasks by type, week, team involved, and a ton of other ways.

For example, this Gantt chart template uses different colors to categorize tasks for each week. Notice how each tasks bar corresponds with the same colored text in the side bar and the legend below. This made it easy to scan the chart for specific weeks and tasks:

You can also categorize your tasks by priority. Simply pick a corresponding color for each level of priority:

4. Illustrate steps in a process using icons

Icons are one type of visual that can be used to make information more memorable. Pair an icon with an important piece of text to help it stand out and stick in the reader’s mind.

For example, this project timeline template uses an icon to illustrate each step in the process. This helps reinforce the information, and gives readers a visual to refer back to:

5. Use a timeline to show an overview of your project plan

While your project plan should include the details of your project, offering a visual summary will help keep your team on track.

Create a timeline that offers an overview of the phases in your project and the expected beginning and completion dates. Your team will be able to refer back to the timeline quickly, without needing to read through a bunch of text.

For example, this project plan timeline template outlines that tasks and milestones for each month in a year:

6. Report on your progress, visually

Once your team dives into working on a project, there will almost certainly be changes that need to be made to the project plan. Unforeseen obstacles come up, certain tasks take longer to complete than expected, and other snags will happen.

That’s why it’s important to not only set your goals, but to also report on your progress throughout the process. Creating a project status report will help you keep track of your progress, while also communicating it effectively with other parties.

But if you’re submitting a status update to your stakeholders, you may want to include more context. That’s where a multi-page status report template may be necessary:

7. Incorporate the theme of your project into your design

While your priority when designing your project plan should be function, finding ways to make your design engaging is still important. After all, your project plan will help inspire confidence in your team–and the people who will be funding your project.

Adding surprising design elements will help engage and excite readers. An easy way to do this is to include icons and images that reflect the theme of your project.

For example, this project plan template for a baking company incorporates a donut into the design:

8. Use a chart to track your project’s process

Certain phases of your project may end up taking more or less time than anticipated. That’s why it’s valuable to track your progress, so you can adjust your goals. Tracking your progress will also help you make informed decisions when planning future projects.

You can track your project using a flexible chart that’s easy to update, like the chart templates offered by Venngage.

For example, this project plan template uses a simple bar graph to track the duration of each phase. The updates are tracked in the top right corner:

In Venngage, you can create multiple copies of a design. If you’re updating a chart or timeline, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of past iterations.

9. Create a calendar of tasks or events to be completed

Are there specific dates that certain tasks needs to be completed on? You may want to create a calendar that specifies what should be done on what day.

For example, if your team is executing on an event like a conference, then a calendar is necessary for keeping events for specific dates organized. The events are color coded by type, making it easy to scan the calendar:

10. Rate your process using an icon chart

An icon chart uses (you guessed it) icons to represent units of measurement. When coming up with ways to embellish your project plan design, look for opportunities to visualize information that you want to emphasize. An icon chart is a creative and effective way to do that.

For example, this project status report template uses check mark icons to rate the success of three different aspects of the project:

11. Keep things in perspective with a Next, Now, Later project timeline plan

When your team is working on a large project it’s sometimes hard to keep everything in perspective. You may have been working on a certain part for so long that you forget what came before it. Or what tasks come after that you need to be aware of.

Without all of this information, mistakes will be made and delays are guaranteed.

This is where a Next, Now, Later plan can really help your team out. As you can see below, this project plan example keeps each of the steps extremely simple and easy to follow.

Plus, it clearly states exactly what this team is working towards with each of their releases. A project timeline plan like this will make it easy for people outside of the main team to see what they are working on as well.

12. Give each step or process a simple name

Communicating across teams can be a nightmare sometimes, especially as your company continues to grow. It’s common for different people to call a certain thing many names, and that can cause unneeded confusion. Like how people in call a soft drink: “soda”, “coke” or “pop”, but it means exactly the same thing.

So assigning common titles for each part of your simple project plan can make communication a bit easier.

In the sample project plan infographic below, they used eight simple keywords for each step of their project:

This common words and phrases will make communication a lot smoother. Now the product team will know exactly what you mean when you say you’re working on the “Sketch” step.

13. Illustrate how each project is connected with a flowchart

At Venngage we really love using flowcharts in all facets of our planning. These graphics are a solid way to show how a project should progress and how each part is connected to each other.

And when your team is working on a complicated process, a visual representation can help you keep it all organized.

In the project plan example above, they used a flowchart to work through their productivity plan.

This approach allowed the designers to show how each step was related, and how it affected the other steps. If they would have just listed all of that information, the relationships between all of it would be lost.

Now we would recommend using a flowchart to help explain how a single part works, not for an entire project plan.

14: Use this simple chart to help you create a clear project plan

Actually starting the process is one of the hardest parts of project planning. This is because there’s so much potential, you might not know what to begin with.

Your team may have so many ideas, that it becomes overwhelming and unorganized in a manner of minutes.

However, with this simple chart, you can kick off the planning in a more structured way.

Each step will help you define goals, future plans and a ton of other metrics without getting distracted.

So if you’re not sure where to start, use this chart to get the creative juices flowing!

BONUS: Download your project plan as a PDF or high-quality PNG

If you want to send your project plan to your team or stakeholders, make it easy for them to open by exporting your file as a PDF or a PNG. With Venngage, you can download your reports and presentations in interactive PDF format or as a high-quality PNG.

With these foundational tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating an impressive–and effective!–project plan. Remember, a well-executed project begins with a solid plan.

Other great project plan examples from the business world

If you need a little more inspiration for your project plans, be sure to check out some of the examples we found below.

Checklist project plan example

When it comes time to launch your project or product accurately tracking what needs to get done is essential.

For a smaller company, it’s easy to keep track of what everyone is working on. But as your brand grows this becomes almost an impossible task. Especially as employees start breaking into smaller teams to tackle a project.

Now a simple project checklist like the example below can help you ensure everything gets done on time:

In this project plan example, they use a wide range of colors to break tasks down by teams. This approach will help the managers quickly see what needs to be done next.

Plus checking off tasks like this will help each team feel like they are working towards a common goal. You could even print this example off and hang it up in your office so everyone knows exactly what’s going on.

Project plan example using multiple visuals

As you have seen in this article, there’s not one project plan example that fits every company perfectly. Some simple projects may only need a flow chart, but others could need diverse visuals across a multipage marketing plan.

That’s why your project plan should use a mix of different visuals to efficiently explain the process. Or in some cases, many processes, like in the beautiful project plan below:

This project plan example is almost a work of art, but it still gets their point across very effectively.

Featuring a flowchart to illustrate their ideation process:

A timeline project plan to break down the release schedule:

And even this unique bubble chart:

Overall, it’s one of the most unique project plans we have ever seen.

Project plan example that focuses on deliverables

At Venngage we try to make sure that at the end of each step in our project we have a deliverable to show for it. Otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels and working on things that don’t really matter at that step.

If you weren’t aware, a deliverable is something tangible that you can show to the rest of the team. Like in this simple project plan they include deliverables like a report or a presentation:

A lot of the time, simple project plans fail because they don’t list deliverables or the ones they do are too vague.

For example, a good deliverable is very descriptive and has a due date. A bad one is open and never really has an end date in mind.

Just remember to be realistic when planning your project, and you will be set.

Project plan example that breaks down tools and processes

Sometimes telling your team to just go do something is not the best course of action. Especially when there’s is an approaching due date that needs to be met. It’s safe to say that a lot of time will be wasted as they try to figure out where to start.

However, a great planner will actually give these team members the tools they need to succeed. Just like they did in this project plan sample for a startup weekend:

At the bottom of this bold project plan, there are a handful of tools and processes that should be followed at each step.

Now, these people can hit the ground running and get their tasks done on time. Instead of wasting half the time searching for the solution or tool that a manager may already have.

Infographic project plan example

Good design work is consistent, it’s as simple as that. You want each of your graphics to feel and look the same throughout. Otherwise, people are going to focus on the random design elements, instead of your important content.

Think about how much a simple misspelling distracted you in an email or presentation. Inconsistent design choices are kinda like typos in the design world.

Additionally, this consistency can help you quickly distill info to a reader. Design elements like color, shapes, and icons can add a ton of context to any complex project plan.

In this project plan infographic, they use colored lines to indicate the answer to a question. Then they added simple flat icons to give each question some supporting info. And a single shape to illustrate the deliverables for each process.

This may not be the most traditional project management plan example, but it does get the point across with its many visual elements.

Project plan roadmap example

Sometimes you’re going to have to present a project plan to people outside the company. These days it might be an investor, a new client or a potential hire.

It really doesn’t matter who the person is, you should probably create a simple project plan for these people. And be sure to have it ready whenever you go into a meeting.

This type of project plan can help you illustrate exactly how the complicated processes your company uses, in a just a few words.

Check out the project plan infographic below, they executed on this idea almost perfectly:

They included enough information to explain how they work, without bogging the reader down in unnecessary details. This project plan doesn’t expose any details that could hurt the company or help a competitor as well.

Sara McGuire is a Content Editor at Venngage. When she isn't writing research-driven content, she enjoys reviewing music and hitting up the latest culinary hot spot in her home city of Toronto. Follow her on Twitter @sara_mcguire